The Chicago Bears tore the NFL apart in the mid 1980s with their legendary 46 defense. Over the years this scheme has been abandoned due to rule changes and the evolution of the passing game. This article will talk about how to successfully run a 46 defense in modern times.

Instructions

1.
Step 1

Many high school and small college teams still successfully run the 46 defense even though NFL coordinators have given up on the formation. The first thing that you need to realize is the strength and weakness of this formation. The strength is that it basically puts up a wall to the running game. The weakness is that it leaves you vulnerable to the short passing game aka west coast offense.
2.
Step 2

After you understand the scheme you need to make sure that you have the personel needed to run the 46 defense. The 46 defense is basically just a modified variation of the current 4-3 that so many teams use. The exception being that the defensive linemen all move to the weak side and both outside linebackers lineup on the strong side together. This means that you need to have smart linebackers that can react fast enough to drop into coverage or play the run.
3.
Step 3

The key to being able to successfully run the 46 defense is to consistently pressure the quarterback and stop the running game. If you're unable to get pressure on the quarterback he is likely gonna tear your defense apart. A big key in this is for your cornerbacks to jam the receivers and still be able to stay with them long enough to challenge the passing game.
4.
Step 4

As I mentioned above perhaps the biggest key to successfully running the 46 defense is to have smart and athletic linebackers. The linebackers in the 46 defense need to be able to lineup against tight ends or wide receivers as they come onto the field.
5.
Step 5

The final thing is practice it until it hurts. In order to successfully run the 46 defense your players need to have seen seemingly every possible look in practice or at least on paper to know how to react in a game.

PS: No matter HOW a defensive front lines up - there are essentially only 5 alignments on defense (no matter if they play a 3-4, 4-3, or 46):

1. "EVEN" = Center uncovered bv a DLM.

2. "OKIE" = both Guards uncovered by a DLM

3. "OVER" = weakside Guard uncovered by a DLM

4. "UNDER" =- strongside Guard uncovered by a DLM

5. "SOLID" = both Guards AND Center covered by DLM (includes the "46")